Let’s be happy as the Danish people!

The little book of Lykke*



Lykke is the Danish word for happiness as Meik Wiking explains in this wonderful little book. He is the founder of the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, which main aim is to identify the factors which contribute to the level of happiness in different countries around the world (You could imagine all the statistics and all the analysis there, my head spins as I try to do it!).

But how can you measure happiness? How you can even think of such a thing in first place? Does the level of happiness can be controlled and how can we maintain it?

Well, if you expect something like the perfect formula or some secret hidden for centuries from the humankind (because life is brutish and short), you may be disappointed because you will certainly not find something like that there.

Instead, you will catch a glimpse of the Danish culture, from the time of the Vikings (you will come across to a lot of Vikings’ references in there) to their modern day habits. You will explore the warm nature and the importance of being close to those you love and to your neighbours as you read about their daily habits. Mind you, the Danish people score high in the level of happiness across Europe, but do not confuse that with perfectly balanced society and perfect levels of equality in terms of economic prosperity, they just have a way of looking more often at the bright side and every cloud for them has a silver lining.

Nevertheless, along the way, you will learn that 95.5% of the Danish people can rely on their friends anytime, which is 5.5% higher than people in the USA, for example.

But there is so much more in this little book, which is written in very clear and precise manner (not to mention how funny it is) and which can give you a glimpse into the Danish culture and how they see the world and what it is the most important things for them (apart from burning things and candles and stuff).

In short, the Danish people believe in kindness, trust, freedom, and sense of togetherness, and how these things can make us happy and all other people around us,too. It is like a giant puzzle we need to assemble in order to see the bigger picture because that’s what truly matters right, the bigger picture?

I fell in love with this book, page after page and I sincerely hope that you would like it as well, it is like a glimpse of hope, like a blanket when you are cold and like a hot chocolate on a rainy day, it makes you smile and it makes you warm.

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